Requested manual?

[Narcissus]

Hey everyone,

I was just curious if anyone would care to help us out by starting a comprehensive guide to M&B 0.704? The quick and dirty manual that is stickied is getting quite outdated and cluttered as I'm sure most everyone has realized.

If anyone would start one ... that person and the mods can then add new information to the first post ... that way everyone can contribute and hopefully it can be as useful as the one that we had for 0.632.

I (and everyone else) would greatly appreciate it.

Narcissus

 

[WhoCares]

I'd suggest a Manual Wiki. If it is not possible to create it on this page then maybe somebody else has prob. a webspace with sufficient traffic limits to maintain such a project.

Examples for community Manual Wiki: WitP, SH3

I helped a little creating content for the first one and it is actually quite easy. Of course, I did not do anything in creating the actual Wiki, so I don't know how much effort is behind that, but from what I remember it was one guy doing it within a few days at most.

 

[Ryuta]

I could try making one, in .psd file. I'm not sure how long it takes though...

First, we need contents on what to put on the manual.
Second, layout of manual.
third, General art dirction.
Fourth, putting together and proof reading.

If you want to add more things, like tips to newby, you have to sort out what to put in earlier stage. Otherwise, the manual would be too clouded to read.

My idea was;
1. Preface (Introduction): what the game is about.
2. Key configuration.
3. Windows: Starting window, character window, party window etc.
4. Your First Game: Character Creation (Character Class, Stats, Skills, Proficiencies), first part of game (training session, arena, inn and marnid, constable Hareck, Ramun)
5. How to navigate the world: World map. City.
6. Combat: Starting, fighting, ending (looting, distributing)
7. Party management: level up, up grading, equipping, prisoner managing stc.
8. Tips
9. Appendix: starting Stats, upgrading tree etc.
10. Installing Mods
11. Credit (Armagan and Ipek)

 

[Janus]

I could try making one, in .psd file. I'm not sure how long it takes though...

You mean PDF? PSD is Photoshop format.

I think Narcissus is just asking for an updated quick-start guide for the forum, nothing too fancy. Of course a manual like you're talking about would be quite nice too.

 

[jrawlings]

I honestly think this is a job for Armagan. Documentation is a part of game development. Programmers as a whole are notorious for writing code and not documenting it. After all, documentation isn't fun at all is it? I am assuming that by version 1.0, an official manual will be in place.

Until then, if folks wanna make a manual, that's great. I'd suggest lifting heavily off the 0.632 stickied one, updating as needed. I think you'll find that there isn't a whole lot that needs to be changed, just stuff that needs to be added.

 

[Qwertyest]

jrawlings, we don't want Armagan to be wasting his time working on a manual for .704 when he could be using that time to work on the next patch!

(p.s. w00t! 100th post )

 

[Narcissus]

I think Narcissus is just asking for an updated quick-start guide for the forum, nothing too fancy. Of course a manual like you're talking about would be quite nice too.

That is exactly what I was asking for.

I honestly think this is a job for Armagan. Documentation is a part of game development. Programmers as a whole are notorious for writing code and not documenting it. After all, documentation isn't fun at all is it? I am assuming that by version 1.0, an official manual will be in place.

To make a complete manual for the finished product, I agree. Yet there is no need for him to work on a manual every major change to the game.

Until then, if folks wanna make a manual, that's great. I'd suggest lifting heavily off the 0.632 stickied one, updating as needed. I think you'll find that there isn't a whole lot that needs to be changed, just stuff that needs to be added.

I agree. Using the quick and dirty manual for 0.632 would make it much easier.

If anyone wants to start this, I would appreciate it. I would do it myself, but I have very little free time and I type at an insanely slow rate.

Narcissus

 

[Ryuta]

Actually once I was trying to make manual of my own. I didn't because I was lazy.

As far as I know, it wouldn't be too hard to make one. Important thing was to make template page and contents and the rest was putting together.
My estimate was, if documentation (and images if any) was finished complying, it would take 4-5hours to make one.

Well, maybe I'll make one for Onin no Ran mod.

 

[Narcissus]

Maybe I should change the title of this thread.

I'm not asking for a manual per se ... just a new thread that holds the basic commands and structure of the game. A quick-start guide. An updated version of the quick and dirty manual that is stickied here.

It would be much better to start a new one and have a clean slate, but the structure and most of the contents of the quick and dirty guide above could be used.

Sorry for the misunderstanding,

Narcissus